Older Home Wall Insulation in Scranton, PA

Older home wall insulation fills the empty walls of pre-war houses. Many Scranton houses were built with nothing in the exterior walls. Some got a little blown-in material decades ago that has since settled. Walls make up a big part of a house's surface, and in a tall, narrow house there is a lot of exterior wall per room.

Dense-pack cellulose

We dense-pack cellulose into wall cavities through small holes, drilled from outside under siding or from inside through plaster, then plug and patch them. HomeGuide lists dense-pack cellulose at $1.60 to $4.20 per square foot. Packed tightly, it fills around old framing and slows air movement in the wall.

Why not foam in plaster walls

Injection foam is an option, but in old houses we usually prefer cellulose. It costs less, it can absorb and release small amounts of moisture, and it lets older walls dry. Foam in a closed wall cannot be inspected and is hard to remove if something goes wrong.

Check the wiring

Before filling walls, we look for knob-and-tube wiring that is still in use. It should not be buried in insulation. If it is live, we tell you and you can have an electrician replace or confirm it first.

Balloon framing

In balloon-framed houses, wall cavities run from the basement to the attic. Dense-packing them blocks that channel. We also seal the tops from the attic and the bottoms from the basement, which makes the whole house less drafty.

Siding and patching

Many valley houses have asbestos-cement, wood or vinyl siding. Asbestos-cement shingles need care; we often drill from inside instead. Holes get plugged and patched.

Code targets

PHRC lists R-20 or R-13 plus R-5 for walls in the Central zone. A 2x4 wall dense-packed with cellulose falls short of that, but it is a big improvement over an empty wall.

Which walls first

If the budget does not cover every wall at once, we suggest starting with the walls that face the prevailing winter wind and the rooms you use most, often the north and west walls and the living room and bedrooms. Each wall section can be priced separately so you can do it in stages.

Porches and additions

Many older houses have enclosed porches or additions built later, sometimes with different framing or no insulation at all. Those rooms are often the coldest in the house. We check them separately and may recommend a different approach for each.

PPL rebate

PPL's rebate form lists exterior wall insulation at 75% of cost up to $500 or $200, if the new R-value exceeds the existing one. Get a free estimate